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The key to boosting U.S. cybersecurity is to promote robust collaboration between the public and private sectors so companies have the information they need to protect themselves. That's according to the authors of the bipartisan Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, who write that their bill is a "common sense" approach and "a critical first step in giving American employers a fighting chance against these relentless attacks."

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Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., would like the federal government to draft guidelines to help U.S. businesses and government entities combat cybercriminals. She is sponsoring the Promoting Good Cyber Hygiene Act, which contains "common sense" ideas, she said.

The leak of information about National Security Agency programs designed to eavesdrop on e-mail and phone conversations could be a setback to passing cybersecurity legislation in Congress, at least until lawmakers deal with the concerns of privacy advocates who say the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act makes it too easy for intelligence agencies to get their hands on private data. While industry groups such as the U.S. Telecom Association have come out in support of CISPA, some say the language lifting barriers on information sharing is too vague.

The House debate this week over the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act is a familiar one in the post-9/11 world. Stakeholders agree that information sharing is of major importance, but there are gaps in agreement on how the country should get there. "I think CISPA is an illustration of a growing challenge to accommodate national security and privacy in an increasingly electronically interconnected world," said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a CISPA skeptic.

The House Intelligence Committee voted 18-2 to advance a controversial cybersecurity bill, setting the stage for a full chamber vote as early as next week. If signed into law, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act will create a framework for voluntary information sharing between businesses and government. Critics of CISPA, including the two Democratic representatives who voted against passage, say amendments designed to strengthen privacy protections do not cover as much as they should.

The White House on Tuesday urged the natural gas industry to support "common sense" regulating of hydraulic fracturing practices in the U.S. to win the public's trust and alleviate public health and environmental concerns. "Common sense regulation that builds the public trust that fracking does not put at risk clean or safe drinking water is not the obstacle to natural gas extraction. It is the pathway to doing so," White House economic adviser Gene Sperling said. Drillers argue that federal regulations are unnecessary and would curb gas production.